Homekit Automations are broken in iOS 16

My issue has been that some of my automations were firing at random times and some didn't fire at all (time AND location based). I have tried deleting and re-adding devices and automations but it only worked briefly if at all. I continued to have problems. I took someone's advice and turned off all automations for a few hours and then turned them back on last night before going to bed. After that NONE of my automations worked. NONE.

So, this morning I deleted the Home app per another suggestion. I can confirm that you can delete the Home app and not lose your devices and automations. The only thing I had to do first was to remove a couple of HomePod Minis, which were easy to add back. Just to be on the safe side, I did a screenshot of my devices and automations first. I have added back the HomePod Minis and now I will wait to see if any of the automations start working. If not, my next stop will be to turn all automations into scenes, per another suggestion, and then trigger the scenes with automations.

Good luck everyone until Apple does something about this!

Wow, so odd. Only 11 (all Thread) of 41 are causing me problems since installing iOS 16. It doesn't seem like Apple is addressing the issue. I may try what you did by deleting HP App. Do I need to delete HP App from all iPhone/iPad/MacBook?

I didn't have the Home app installed on my iPad but I do have it installed on this MaBook Pro M1 so I only deleted it from my iPhone. But now that you mention it, I think I will delete it from this laptop too just for sh***s and giggles.

Deleting and reinstalling the Home app on my iPhone seem to do the trick for me. I’ve been able to test about 85-90% of all my automations and they are working. Don’t fear. When you reinstall the Home app, your devices and automations will still be there.

After some experimentation I think part of the problem is conflict among apps to control devices - both wifi and hub based. For example, an iHome plug (wifi) which is controllable by Homekit and Alexa stopped working in a Homekit automation. Looking at Alexa it was marked as controlled by the now defunct iHome cloud. Deleting it from Alexa restored automation by Homekit (basically, in newer versions of Homekit -Homekit/Alexa/other hubs appear to interfere with each other in unpredictable ways).

All my automations worked fine after updating to iOS16.01. Don't know about iOS16.02 as I was traveling when I updated. I tried what someone earlier mentioned and went into my AppleTV 4k, Settings, AirPlay and HomeKit and turned Home Hub off then back on. I then created a new automation for one of my Wemo with Thread plugs and it worked fine. I then edited the automation to control lights that run through an Insteon Plus Hub and that worked. An automation for my thermostat, an iComfort by Lennox also worked fine.

So far the solution seems to be similar to the standard computer fix, Reboot.

This also worked for me. Sometimes we look for a solution in one operating system when the issue is in another. As far as I can tell this is only an issue with tvOS16 as before I did the Home Hub off/on my automations didn't work even though my iPad is not using iPadOS16 and my Macs aren't using Ventura and they all worked before tvOS16 and none worked after my AppleTV automatically updated.

Anyway, all is good now.

The more replies I read the more perplexing is this issue. I have three latest Apple TV boxes, but have never used any of them with HomeKit (all disabled): I use two HomePod minis. My problem is that after updating to iOS 16.02 all my Eve Thread devices and all NanoLeaf Thread devices stopped working and I am unable to add them back even after reluctantly deleting the HK App from 2 iPhones, 2 iPads (could not delete HK application from MBPro and Mac Studio). But all my non-Thread devices remain operational within the HK App and all continue to trigger via timers/remote/Siri commands. I have used HK since it came out and have gradually added new devices and worked great, but this is the very first time installed devices (only Thread ones) have failed. I suspect Matter, but have no proof.

Might I suggest that you try using one of your AppleTV's as a Home Hub to see if that takes care of the issues. I have 3 AppleTV 4k's and all were set to be Home Hubs. I disconnected all 3 AppleTV's in settings and automations still work. I do have a number of HomePods including 2 Minis but there is no way to disconnect or connect them manually. I have HomeKit apps opening and running on 2 Macs, 1 iPad and my iPhone and nothing that I do on any of those devices seems to have any impact on the functioning of Automations. All devices are as up to date as possible (no betas).

Automations WERE working great over the summer and now everything just came to a screeching halt. Some work, some don’t, some are unreliable. But mostly, they just don’t. Pretty sad I’m moving to a competitor for my automations when Apple is supposed to “just work”.

I too am thinking about dumping HK after this issue. I left behind a very expansive, expensive but extremely stable snd dependable ISY 994 smarthome system for this FUBAR Apple crap because I thought Apple would really become a leader in Smarthome tech. Urah (3061) 1stmardiv

This is a joke, I just need it to work! We’re paying top dollar for no good reason anymore. We used to get a reliable product from Apple and they genuinely seemed to care but that died with Steve. All Apple seems to care about now is getting something new and shiny out to consumers working or not so they can increase their bottom line. I’m trying to figure out how to convert my whole family to Google but I don’t think that’s a reality, so fix your garbage Apple and focus back on us, your customers, not your pockets. Be the best again so when someone asks “Why do you use an Apple?”, I can once again say “because every time I use it, it works”.

Follow up to my posting. My nanoleaf bulbs were always "updating" and/or "not found". I have two automations that were set to sunrise and sunset to activate a scene. They were not responding. Lights that were activated by a specific time were still working. I deleted the scene automations and remade them. (Pretty much outside lights to go on at sunset and off at sunrise.). I then power-cycled the Homepod Mini. All has been work fine for about 4 days. No issues with the nanoleaf bulbs either. Take it for what it's worth and maybe this is helpful to others.

every motion sensor related automation started failing for me this AM.

tried following the steps for deleting HomePods and the Home app and it wound up making the situation worse, now most devices are stuck in a not responding state.

apple, you’ve bricked my smarthome. Is there an ETA on a fix or is it time for me to switch?

I also spoke with an Apple Advisor last evening. She heard me out and took some logs from my device, but also urged me to go to apple.com/feedback, select Home to answer a few questions and enter a brief summary: "All was working great until I downloaded iOS 16 (never installed any Betas) and only my Thread devices (12 of 39) were knocked out. Have removed them, did factory reset, but unable to add them back." Very, very frustrating." It is clear that Apple failed to do enough extensive testing with Home/iOS 16 to ensure its functionality.